Chapter 40 Bath with Master (1)

 

In my hand was a crystal bottle containing a colorless and odorless liquid.

 

The dragon intricately carved into it made it clear that this was no ordinary item.

 

Even its artistic appearance was insufficient to match the status of ‘Cheonlae’s Spring Water.’

 

“Do you feel the dragon’s energy within it?”

 

“Yes. It’s incredible.”

 

Even my master, the top S-rank, was impressed, and I, a second-timer in hypnosis, was once again in awe of the item.

 

A potion that significantly increases the abilities of an awakened individual upon consumption.

 

It was the only item in the world that I had sought out in my second life but could never find again.

 

Cheonlae’s Spring Water.

 

My body was filled with exhilaration.

 

‘Drinking this and working out will increase my ability growth speed by ten times! Thank you, Master!’

 

Feeling a surge of gratitude, I shifted my gaze forward to express my thanks.

 

My eyes met my master’s, who was still in a bathrobe.

 

“You’re so happy you don’t know what to do. Is it that good?”

 

“Of course it’s good, but… Master, wouldn’t it be better to change before you catch a cold?”

 

“I’m fine. Drink it quickly, right in front of me, without leaving a drop.”

 

…To think she would urge me without even changing her clothes.

 

But well, it’s not like my master would catch a cold.

 

If she wasn’t embarrassed, it was probably fine.

 

I decided to drink it gratefully.

 

“Yes. Then, I will drink it.”

 

-Gulp.

 

I immediately uncorked it and poured it down my throat.

 

The effect was instantaneous.

 

[‘Cheonlae’s Spring Water’ consumed. Trait ‘Dragon’s Blood’ acquired.]

 

『Dragon’s Blood (S Rank) – Ability growth speed increased by ten times until reaching the limit. However, if excessive dragon energy accumulates in the body, abilities increased by this trait will be lost.』

 

‘…It felt familiar the first time I drank it, but it’s oddly similar to Pine Needle’s Eye.’

 

It felt like drinking an extremely high-quality Pine Needle’s Eye.

 

I could vividly feel the potion’s energy spreading throughout my body.

 

Master was also impressed.

 

“Ho, this must be what the Immortal Elixir described in Korean martial arts novels feels like.”

 

“I’m not sure, but I feel the energy filling my body.”

 

“Good. Then let me… Ahem. Let me take a look.”

 

-Fumbling.

 

Master naturally began to examine my body.

 

At her level, she could tell just by looking, but was she being thorough for my sake?

 

As expected of Master. I love you.

 

“Despite appearances, your biceps are quite… And your abs are…”

 

“How do I look, Master?”

 

“……!!!!? Ahem. Excellent. Your absorption rate is better than I expected.”

 

Master seemed pleased with the result of her examination, her cheeks slightly flushed with excitement.

 

But only for a moment.

 

Seriousness returned to her eyes.

 

“As I said before, from now on, you must endure hardship every night without fail. Not a single day off.”

 

“If I skip even a day, the effect will be nullified, right?”

 

“Yes. Until you stand at the top, you will have no days of restful sleep. You will likely cry yourself to sleep from the pain.”

 

As she said, the downside of Cheonlae’s Spring Water was clear.

 

From now on, I had to push myself to my limits every day.

 

If I skipped even one day, I would become weaker than before I drank it.

 

Thanks to this, in my first life, I fell asleep every night with regret.

 

Suffering from severe muscle pain, lamenting why I had to go through this hardship.

 

But now, it’s my second life.

 

This was no penalty at all.

 

“Would a disciple of Master cry over something like that? Don’t worry.”

 

“Ho.”

 

“So, what should I do first?”

 

I looked at Master, eager to start training right away.

 

Of course, I already knew what she would have me do.

 

She would start by having me swing the sword to get the form right.

 

Then basic stances of Japanese kendo.

 

Various practical techniques.

 

And the special Zaha Swordsmanship…

 

“Do some exercise.”

 

“Eh.”

 

She immediately told me to lift weights.

 

A dumbfounded sound escaped my lips.

 

Master shrugged her shoulders.

 

“Why, are you disappointed it’s nothing special?”

 

“…Honestly, I thought you’d have me swing the katana. Since both yours and my weapon are katanas.”

 

“If you were a complete novice, I would have done that. But you learned a decent sword in your dreams.”

 

“Oh.”

 

“Even if I threw you into a Japanese kendo competition right now, you’d win a 7th dan. Making you do that would be torture, not training.”

 

She said, as if to imply I wasn’t at that level anymore.

 

“And you also have hypnosis as an ability. First, you need to build a body to support that ability.”

 

“Swordsmanship…?”

 

“Your body can’t keep up with swordsmanship right now. To teach you swordsmanship, you must first exercise.”

 

Raise your stats first.

 

Then my unique ability would also strengthen, and I’d be able to handle Zaha Swordsmanship.

 

To teach me the sword,

 

“The sword… Right. If you succeed in hypnotizing me, I will teach you.”

 

“…Hypnotize you?”

 

“Yes. Even for a second, if you succeed, I’ll acknowledge it.”

 

From the time I could hypnotize my master…

 

…Graduation requirements were quite high, weren’t they?

 

Originally, Master was an impossible-to-hypnotize heroine in the game.

 

Even at the peak of my abilities in my first life, it was only possible if she intentionally let herself be hypnotized.

 

And what kind of ability is hypnosis?

 

I use it properly, but it’s originally a skill optimized for adult games.

 

And she wants me to hypnotize her?

 

I sighed automatically at the thought of her unguardedness.

 

“Sigh… I understand.”

 

“Ho? You’re not whining as much as I thought? Confident?”

 

“I’m not confident, but what can I do? If the master says to do something, the disciple does it. That’s common sense, right?”

 

Of course, I would do as told.

 

Master seemed satisfied.

 

“Good. Then start immediately.”

 

“Yes. I’ll head to the training room to work out, so please wait a moment…”

 

“What are you talking about? I said start now. Here, in front of me.”

 

“……?”

 

Why here instead of the well-equipped training room?

 

I wondered but didn’t argue.

 

If Master says to do it, I do it. Yes.

 

“Understood. But it might smell, so please watch from a distance.”

 

“That won’t do. As your master, I must help you for efficient training.”

 

“If you say so.”

 

I immediately got down on the floor.

 

First, a warm-up with push-ups before moving on to the real workout.

 

“Then….”

 

“Ho, push-ups. Let me assist.”

 

-Thud.

 

“……M-M-Master!!!!!?”

 

Master sat on my back.

 

A heavy softness settled on my back.

 

I almost drew my sword.

 

“I will gradually increase the weight, so don’t slack off and keep going. You can enhance your body with mana to the limit.”

 

“T-T-That. You’re touching…”

 

“Even I am not embarrassed by this, disciple.”

 

Contrary to her usual dignified image, she seemed quite playful.

 

A mischievous laugh echoed.

 

“Fufu… Oh, right. Disciple. You said you could hypnotize yourself, right?”

 

“T-Technically, yes.”

 

“For the next hour, hypnotize yourself to seal your hypnosis.”

 

“What!!? Why do such a thing?”

 

“Your hypnosis is too versatile. Humans instinctively seek escape when close to their limits. As long as hypnosis is an escape, you will never give your all.”

 

“……”

 

So she said, forbidding hypnosis for an hour.

 

I worried I might draw my sword, but I had no choice but to comply.

 

It’s common sense for a disciple to obey their master.

 

“I, Seo Yu-jin, will be unable to use the unique ability ‘Complete Hypnosis’ for the next hour.”

 

[The target is ‘perfectly’ hypnotized.]

 

“Good. Now, endure well, disciple. Fufu.”

 

“Yes….”

 

A terrifying workout with the top S-rank sitting on my back.

 

A training session much harder than I expected had begun.

 

* * *

 

It only took thirty minutes for me to be exhausted.

 

[……With repeated experience, strength and agility increased by 0.08. Mana increased by 0.07.]

 

‘I thought my back was going to break… What was that, a thousand-pound weight? How is something from martial arts novels real?’

 

She said she’d adjust the weight, and I thought she’d bring something heavy, but…

 

Making herself heavier was an option?

 

When I asked in disbelief, she explained it was a technique to make her body heavy using mana…

 

No joke, I thought my back would snap.

 

It was literally heavy as a thousand pounds.

 

Moreover, Master kept adding, “One more, one more.”

 

I had to use all my body’s mana to move my arms.

 

Of course, I was exhausted in just thirty minutes. Yes.

 

“To endure without a single groan until your limit, impressive!”

 

“Master… Because I’m a disciple….”

 

“Yes. Now go wash up.”

 

“Yes….”

 

The fortunate thing was that my legs still worked.

 

I quickly walked to wash up.

 

All I could think about was washing, eating, and sleeping.

 

-creak.

 

“……”

 

‘I brought a change of clothes, but I can’t lift my arms that high.’

 

But even entering the bathroom was troublesome.

 

Was the showerhead always hung that high?

 

It felt almost

 

like a star in the sky.

 

I had no choice but to force my trembling arms…

 

[Disciple, I’ll give you ten seconds. Wrap this around your waist.]

 

-whoosh.

 

As I tried to lift my arms, a towel flew from behind.

 

Not knowing why, I wrapped it around my waist.

 

And then,

 

‘Why is Master giving me a towel… Wait, huh? This is the bathroom!?’

 

-creak.

 

“Let me in.”

 

“……!!!!!?”

 

An 8-ton truck with just its blinkers on approached me again.

 

I fell back in shock.

 

“I’m showering, Master!!!!?”

 

“Lies. You probably can’t even lift the showerhead because your arms are so weak.”

 

“That’s true, but no. I’m naked.”

 

“You have a towel on, so it’s fine, right?”

 

But instead of considering me, the weak traffic participant, she aimed to hit and run.

 

Her wet footsteps echoed softly as she walked forward.

 

In just a bathrobe.

 

“Don’t worry, disciple. This is just to soothe your overworked body a little.”

 

-splash….

 

“But still, this is a bit.”

 

“Stop talking nonsense.”

 

“Lean your back. I’ll wash you.”